G3D Mark is a standard benchmark that measures graphics performance in real-world gaming scenarios. It simplifies comparing cards from different brands, where higher scores directly correlate with better fps and smoother gaming experiences.

Head-to-Head Verdict, Benchmarks, Value & Long-Term Outlook

This comparison brings together gaming FPS, raw graphics performance, VRAM, feature set, power efficiency, pricing context, and long-term value so you can see which GPU actually makes more sense.

GeForce GTX 970

2014

Why buy it

✅Competitive enough if your priority is price, power, or specific feature preference.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than GeForce RTX 3050 OEM across 49 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌Less VRAM, with 4 GB vs 8 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌No DLSS support; it relies on Upscaling support instead.
❌Poor future-proofing: 2014-era hardware with 4 GB of VRAM is already a legacy-tier option for modern games.
❌
32.1% HIGHER MSRP
$329 MSRPvs$249 MSRP

GeForce RTX 3050 OEM

2022

Why buy it

✅47.9% more average FPS across 49 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Costs $80 less on MSRP ($249 MSRP vs $329 MSRP).
✅Delivers 63% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 47.8 vs 29.3 G3D/$ ($249 MSRP vs $329 MSRP).
✅Access to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020).
✅100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (8 GB vs 4 GB).

Trade-offs

❌Fewer clear downsides in this head-to-head, aside from the usual pricing and availability swings.

GeForce GTX 970

2014

GeForce RTX 3050 OEM

2022

Why buy it

✅Competitive enough if your priority is price, power, or specific feature preference.

Why buy it

✅47.9% more average FPS across 49 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Costs $80 less on MSRP ($249 MSRP vs $329 MSRP).
✅Delivers 63% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 47.8 vs 29.3 G3D/$ ($249 MSRP vs $329 MSRP).
✅Access to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020).
✅100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (8 GB vs 4 GB).

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than GeForce RTX 3050 OEM across 49 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌Less VRAM, with 4 GB vs 8 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌No DLSS support; it relies on Upscaling support instead.
❌Poor future-proofing: 2014-era hardware with 4 GB of VRAM is already a legacy-tier option for modern games.
❌
32.1% HIGHER MSRP
$329 MSRPvs$249 MSRP

Trade-offs

❌Fewer clear downsides in this head-to-head, aside from the usual pricing and availability swings.

Quick Answers

So, is GeForce RTX 3050 OEM better than GeForce GTX 970?

Yes. GeForce RTX 3050 OEM is clearly the better overall GPU here. GeForce RTX 3050 OEM averages 47.9% more FPS across 49 tracked games in our benchmark data. You are also looking at 11,892 vs 9,640 in G3D Mark. On top of that, GeForce RTX 3050 OEM is a 2022 card with DLSS Super Resolution, while GeForce GTX 970 is a 2014 model from an older generation with no meaningful modern upscaling stack. So this is not really a tight same-tier comparison. It is more a modern card against an older, weaker alternative.

Which one is more future-proof for 2026 and beyond?

GeForce RTX 3050 OEM is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer 2022 generation instead of 2014, 23.4% more raw performance headroom, more VRAM at 8 GB instead of 4 GB, and better upscaling support with DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020) instead of no meaningful modern upscaling stack. That leaves it with more room for heavier textures, tougher ray tracing loads, and higher-end 1440p or 4K gaming over the next few years.

Which one is the smarter buy today, not just the cheaper card?

GeForce RTX 3050 OEM is the smarter buy today, but it is not as lopsided as a simple winner label makes it sound. GeForce RTX 3050 OEM is about $80 cheaper on MSRP at $249 MSRP versus $329 MSRP, and you are getting 47.9% more estimated average FPS across 49 tracked games in our benchmark data and 23.4% higher G3D Mark. It also leads G3D-per-dollar by 63%. That is why the better overall card still comes out as the smarter buy today, not just the faster one.

Is GeForce GTX 970 still worth buying for gaming in 2026?

Yes. GeForce GTX 970 is still a strong modern gaming GPU: it is still comfortable for 1080p and decent for 1440p, though 4K is more situational. It remains a good buy when you can get it meaningfully cheaper than the alternative around $329 MSRP, even if GeForce RTX 3050 OEM is still the cleaner recommendation on overall value today.

Games Benchmarks

Real-world benchmarks and performance projections based on comprehensive hardware analysis and comparative metrics. Values represent expected performance on High/Ultra settings at 1080p, 1440p, and 4K. Modeled using a Ryzen 7 9800X3D reference profile to minimize specific CPU bottlenecks.

Note: Performance behavior can vary per game. Specific architectures may perform better or worse depending on game engine optimizations and API implementation.

GeForce GTX 970 Benchmark Check

GeForce RTX 3050 OEM Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	GeForce GTX 970	GeForce RTX 3050 OEM
1080p
low	81 FPS	130 FPS
medium	69 FPS	113 FPS
high	58 FPS	99 FPS
ultra	38 FPS	83 FPS
1440p
low	70 FPS	119 FPS
medium	62 FPS	96 FPS
high	46 FPS	81 FPS
ultra	29 FPS	69 FPS
4K
low	26 FPS	64 FPS
medium	24 FPS	57 FPS
high	17 FPS	39 FPS
ultra	14 FPS	33 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 970 Open GeForce RTX 3050 OEM

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	GeForce GTX 970	GeForce RTX 3050 OEM
1080p
low	185 FPS	239 FPS
medium	152 FPS	206 FPS
high	122 FPS	164 FPS
ultra	92 FPS	128 FPS
1440p
low	132 FPS	163 FPS
medium	102 FPS	135 FPS
high	81 FPS	112 FPS
ultra	60 FPS	92 FPS
4K
low	63 FPS	88 FPS
medium	50 FPS	74 FPS
high	46 FPS	62 FPS
ultra	37 FPS	49 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 970 Open GeForce RTX 3050 OEM

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	GeForce GTX 970	GeForce RTX 3050 OEM
1080p
low	405 FPS	535 FPS
medium	347 FPS	428 FPS
high	289 FPS	357 FPS
ultra	217 FPS	268 FPS
1440p
low	325 FPS	401 FPS
medium	260 FPS	321 FPS
high	217 FPS	268 FPS
ultra	163 FPS	201 FPS
4K
low	210 FPS	268 FPS
medium	174 FPS	214 FPS
high	129 FPS	178 FPS
ultra	95 FPS	134 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 970 Open GeForce RTX 3050 OEM

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	GeForce GTX 970	GeForce RTX 3050 OEM
1080p
low	179 FPS	467 FPS
medium	138 FPS	414 FPS
high	120 FPS	335 FPS
ultra	103 FPS	268 FPS
1440p
low	138 FPS	372 FPS
medium	107 FPS	321 FPS
high	94 FPS	236 FPS
ultra	80 FPS	197 FPS
4K
low	80 FPS	199 FPS
medium	59 FPS	175 FPS
high	46 FPS	150 FPS
ultra	36 FPS	125 FPS

Open GeForce GTX 970 Open GeForce RTX 3050 OEM

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of GeForce GTX 970 and GeForce RTX 3050 OEM

GeForce GTX 970

The GeForce GTX 970 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in September 19 2014. It features the Maxwell 2.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 1050 MHz to 1178 MHz. It has 1664 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 150W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 9,640 points. Launch price was $329.

GeForce RTX 3050 OEM

The GeForce RTX 3050 OEM is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in January 4 2022. It features the Ampere architecture. The core clock ranges from 1515 MHz to 1755 MHz. It has 2560 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 130W. Manufactured using 8 nm process technology. It features 20 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 11,892 points.

⚡

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce GTX 970 scores 9,640 versus the GeForce RTX 3050 OEM's 11,892 — the GeForce RTX 3050 OEM leads by 23.4%. The GeForce GTX 970 is built on Maxwell 2.0 while the GeForce RTX 3050 OEM uses Ampere, both on 28 nm vs 8 nm. Shader units: 1,664 (GeForce GTX 970) vs 2,560 (GeForce RTX 3050 OEM). Raw compute: 3.92 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 970) vs 8.986 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 3050 OEM). Boost clocks: 1178 MHz vs 1755 MHz.

Feature	GeForce GTX 970	GeForce RTX 3050 OEM
G3D Mark Score	9,640	11,892+23%
Architecture	Maxwell 2.0	Ampere
Process Node	28 nm	8 nm
Shading Units	1664	2560+54%
Compute (TFLOPS)	3.92 TFLOPS	8.986 TFLOPS+129%
Boost Clock	1178 MHz	1755 MHz+49%
ROPs	56+75%	32
TMUs	104+30%	80
L1 Cache	0.61 MB	2.5 MB+310%
L2 Cache	2 MB	2 MB

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce RTX 3050 OEM supports the newer DLSS 2 Super Resolution, whereas the GeForce GTX 970 is capped at Upscaling support.

Feature	GeForce GTX 970	GeForce RTX 3050 OEM
Upscaling Tech	Upscaling support	DLSS 2 Super Resolution
Frame Generation	Not Supported	Not Supported
Ray Reconstruction	No	No
Low Latency	NVIDIA Reflex	NVIDIA Reflex

💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

The GeForce GTX 970 comes with 4 GB of VRAM, while the GeForce RTX 3050 OEM has 8 GB. The GeForce RTX 3050 OEM offers 100% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Bus width: 256-bit vs 128-bit.

Feature	GeForce GTX 970	GeForce RTX 3050 OEM
VRAM Capacity	4 GB	8 GB+100%
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR6
Memory Bandwidth	224 GB/s	224 GB/s
Bus Width	256-bit+100%	128-bit
L2 Cache	2 MB	2 MB

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 (FL 12_1) (GeForce GTX 970) vs 12.2 (GeForce RTX 3050 OEM). Vulkan: 1.3 vs 1.3. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 4.

Feature	GeForce GTX 970	GeForce RTX 3050 OEM
DirectX	12 (FL 12_1)	12.2+2%
Vulkan	1.3	1.3
OpenGL	4.6	4.6
Max Displays	4	4

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC 2nd gen (GeForce GTX 970) vs 8th Gen NVENC (GeForce RTX 3050 OEM). Decoder: PureVideo VP6 vs 5th Gen NVDEC. Supported codecs: H.264,H.265/HEVC (GeForce GTX 970) vs MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9,AV1 (Decode) (GeForce RTX 3050 OEM).

Feature	GeForce GTX 970	GeForce RTX 3050 OEM
Encoder	NVENC 2nd gen	8th Gen NVENC
Decoder	PureVideo VP6	5th Gen NVDEC
Codecs	H.264,H.265/HEVC	MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9,AV1 (Decode)

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 970 draws 150W versus the GeForce RTX 3050 OEM's 130W — a 14.3% difference. The GeForce RTX 3050 OEM is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 500W (GeForce GTX 970) vs 450W (GeForce RTX 3050 OEM). Power connectors: 2x 6-pin vs 8-pin. Card length: 267mm vs 235mm, occupying 2 vs 2 slots. Typical load temperature: 80°C vs 75°C.

Feature	GeForce GTX 970	GeForce RTX 3050 OEM
TDP	150W	130W-13%
Recommended PSU	500W	450W-10%
Power Connector	2x 6-pin	8-pin
Length	267mm	235mm
Height	111mm	124mm
Slots	2	2
Temp (Load)	80°C	75°C-6%
Perf/Watt	64.3	91.5+42%

💰

Value Analysis

The GeForce GTX 970 launched at $329 MSRP, while the GeForce RTX 3050 OEM launched at $249. The GeForce RTX 3050 OEM costs 24.3% less ($80 savings) on MSRP. Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 29.3 (GeForce GTX 970) vs 47.8 (GeForce RTX 3050 OEM) — the GeForce RTX 3050 OEM offers 63.1% better value. The GeForce RTX 3050 OEM is the newer GPU (2022 vs 2014).